DiscusKeeper403 Posted October 23, 2007 Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 (edited) Hey guys, Why can't I keep my plants a live!? I got quite a few (all aquatic) like anubius, lotus, rotala, amazon sword, and a few others. I dose sugar yeast C02, all the plants are in flourite gravel, and I have started adding Flourish comprehensive supplement for planted tanks. Most are also in their little pots with that fiber stuff for the roots. Why are the plants dying!? I have never had any problems with planted tanks, till' I tried one in Calgary!! The leaves/stems will turn brown, then go see through, then fall off!! I am guessing it's lacking some nutrients, but I have heard Calgary water has quite a few heavy metals. Could there be something in the water?? Edited October 23, 2007 by DiscusLova Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toirtis Posted October 23, 2007 Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 No idea, unless you get water from a softening unit. I live in NW Calgary, and all my plants thrive (with the exception of Echinodoras, which I never have any luck with), both with and without CO2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
werner Posted October 23, 2007 Report Share Posted October 23, 2007 Here's Calgary's annual Water Quality Report. Nothing nasty in it, it's just harder than you might want. Potted plants are generally cultivated above water, so when you plant them in the aquarium there will be some die-back as they switch to submerged growth. You can remove the basket and rockwool before planting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiscusKeeper403 Posted October 24, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 No idea, unless you get water from a softening unit. I live in NW Calgary, and all my plants thrive (with the exception of Echinodoras, which I never have any luck with), both with and without CO2. Nope, no softening unit... I too, am also stumped. I have never had any problems with this before! I live in the S.W. anyone else in the area have any problems?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharuq1 Posted October 24, 2007 Report Share Posted October 24, 2007 Don't live in Calgary anymore, but could it be the lighting? Maybe too much/too little fertilizer?? Just throwing out ideas. If you don't already you could try running a high quality carbon for impurities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiscusKeeper403 Posted October 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 Don't live in Calgary anymore, but could it be the lighting? Maybe too much/too little fertilizer?? Just throwing out ideas. If you don't already you could try running a high quality carbon for impurities. Thanks for the input. It may be my lighting, although the tank is very bright. I have no gravel, so the bottom reflects the light, and the reflectors help too. It may be the ferts. I think I need some Iron possibly... Someone told me I should dose NPK?? I don't know what that is, but it sounds important... Could anyone shine some light on this?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishful Thinking Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 What is the temp in the tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toirtis Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 It may be the ferts. I think I need some Iron possibly... Someone told me I should dose NPK?? I don't know what that is, but it sounds important... Could anyone shine some light on this?? "NPK" stands for Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium...the three macronuytients plants require. It is possible that you are a bit iron deficient...you may want to grab a test kit and test for chelated iron. Flourish Comprehensive is a micronutrient source, as opposed to macronutrient (as found in Flourish Potassium, Phosphorus, and Nitrogen)....Flourish also makes an iron supplement. What, precisely, is the lighting on the tank, and what size tank is it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiscusKeeper403 Posted October 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 Tank is 55 gallons, it has standard double fluorescent w/reflectors and no gravel. It's like 1 WPG, I'm not sure what it would come to with the reflectors... Normally you want more, so, I may invest in some better lighting... Thats all I could think of for the problem, but I have seen tanks not even close to as bright as mine is, and they have had all different types of plants growing well... Is there any other fertilizers I should consider getting (other then Iron) ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Chicklets Posted October 26, 2007 Report Share Posted October 26, 2007 Fish poop? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toirtis Posted October 26, 2007 Report Share Posted October 26, 2007 Tank is 55 gallons, it has standard double fluorescent w/reflectors and no gravel. It's like 1 WPG, I'm not sure what it would come to with the reflectors... Normally you want more, so, I may invest in some better lighting... Thats really very litt;le light at all....suitable for anubias, java fern, etc, but not much else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
African_Fever Posted October 26, 2007 Report Share Posted October 26, 2007 I'm not exactly clear on what the plants are growing in. From what you describe above, it sounds like you've got the plants in the 'original' fiberglass-like stuff in the pots that they came in? Are these planted in other pots that are filled with gravel? I'd take the plants out of the pots that they came in, and take away most of the fiber that's going to be stuck to the roots before planting them in separate pots. I've been told that these can become suffocating once the plants start growing submerged for a while. As well, from your sig I'm going out on a limb here and am going to assume you've got discus, which would also lead me to assume that you've got your temp somewhere around 84-86. Most plants I've always been told don't do too well at that high of temps, so you've got to do some research and find the ones that do. And as Christian said, your lighting really isn't very much for a tank that size, especially considering the depth of the tank. Two 54W T5's would be all I'd think you'd need for a tank that size, though again depending on the plants you may even want as many as 3-4. With the greater depth you're going to need more light than a shallower tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiscusKeeper403 Posted October 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 You are correct. Lighting isn't great. I have some amazonian plants, but some aren't. I should probably invest in a better lighting unit (which I thought from the start.) I have seen plants kept in warm temperature Discus tanks with not too many problems... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toirtis Posted October 27, 2007 Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 I'd take the plants out of the pots that they came in, and take away most of the fiber that's going to be stuck to the roots before planting them in separate pots. I concur...replanting them in larger pots (at least 6" deep for swords) filled with laterite, flourite, or aquatic soil covered with gravel would make a big difference. Two 54W T5's would be all I'd think you'd need for a tank that size, though again depending on the plants you may even want as many as 3-4. With the greater depth you're going to need more light than a shallower tank. I agree... a pair of HO T5s would also make for a world of difference. That being said, running plants in a bare-bottomed discus tank is always going to be a bit of a challenge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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